Drive By Theology

The process of learning is fascinating. Ahava is quickly picking up Spanish by immersion in Mexican kindergarten. As her little 4-year-old brain assimilates new words with the ones she all ready knows, her two languages sometimes collide. This past week Ahava asked me to pick her up so that she could try to see the volcanoes "Pizza and Popo." Their real names are long words in the Nahuatl language: Iztaccihuatl and Popocatepetl. People refer to these volcanoes as simply "Izta and Popo." The English word "pizza" (without the p) sounds very much like the Nahuatl word "Izta". The letter p in Popo mixed with the Izta word and came out of Ahava's mouth as "Pizza".
Ever had a religious idea that you thought had come from the bible, only to discover that it isn't mentioned in the bible at all? I (Ingrid) used to dream of having angel wings once I got to heaven, an idea I piced up watching Laura Ingalls during a "Little House on the Prairie" episode. As we drive through the streets of this immense city, we are inundated with images that get captured in our minds. The top two photos are of a billboard with the slogan "Todos Somos Angeles" (All of Us Are Angels), an advertisement for the Garden of Rememberance Funeral Service.
The third photo is of a huge metal and cloth sculpture, about 3 or 4 stories tall. As it was being built, we saw a gigantic scaffolding draped with cloth tarps. This became the familiar silhouette of a hooded robe. A few weeks later, the the sculpture had new gold accents on the cloth and a week later, hands with palms facing heavenward were added. I was surprised but pleasantly surprised to watch the construction of this huge Jesus sculpture. Our next drive past this sculpture revealed its true identity: La Santa Muerte (the holy death). The face of the sculpture, to me, resembles a grime reaper. I didn't get a clear photo but that's probably just as well. "La santa muerte" is an occultic religion that venerates the dead and promises immediate results to problems in life if one submits to the teachings and potions that their religious leaders propose. They even have their own magazine that is sold on every street corner alongside the daily news and People en Español. The Catholic church doesn't seem to see anything wrong with this as long as their parishoners participate in Catholic sacraments. This blending can even be seen through the expression of jewlery. I saw a young woman wearing a pentagram necklace, a goat's head necklace, and a cross bracelet - all at the same time. We are surprised as how strong occult worship is here. Please pray for us as we encounter this and for the Mexican people who are being mislead.